1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the automatic provision of food and water to animals upon preselected, timed intervals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Timed pet and animal feeders are known in which measured amounts of pet or animal feed are dispensed at preselected intervals. However, some of these prior art devices have not provided for water to be mixed with a granular or particulate feed nor has any provision been made for drinking water to be furnished to the animal. At least one prior art device has furnished feed to the animal upon the animal's demand thus allowing it to gorge itself continuously. Thus many of the prior art animal feeders have only partially solved the problems presented, presented new problems or both. Most have thus met special needs as presented by specific problems and have therefore, served narrow purposes. Some have been unreliable and unpredictable in operation under continued use and have been expensive and complicated to manufacture. Some of these prior art devices have been described in the following patents that were brought to the attention of the applicant through a novelty search conducted in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,902 to Ruth for TIMED ANIMAL FEEDER is not interval timed, rather, the feed dispenser is triggered by sunrise and sunset. Actually, as the inventor points out, "The level detector is preferably responsive to changes in light level from darkness to daylight. . . The value should be set sufficiently high to prevent triggering on the darkness caused by a thunderstorm or heavy cloud cover. This would allow the dispensing of too much food during a 24 hour period." Thus a problem is pointed out but not solved. Additionally, there does not appear to be a continuous water supply, only a holding tank that must be refilled by a human attendant. Further, the feed must be lifted to the top of the bin for loading, that is, no leveraged loading is provided. Still further, it is not immediately apparent just how the flow of particulate feed is stopped. If the granularity is fine enough, all the feed in the bin could run out of the trough, that is, until all the feed in the bin is exhausted to the outside. As stated in the patent, ". . . the volume of the pyramid being determined by the granular nature of the feed, spacing of the opening 18 and the diameter of the opening." Thus, a delicate balance may be required because after a dumping of feed, there will be remaining feed in the trough so that the flow just might continue until all the feed in the bin becomes exhausted to the outside and the animals could gorge themselves to sickness.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,997, also to Ruth for ANIMAL FEEDER involves no timing at all. Additionally, there is no provision for the dispensation of water, either to be mixed with dry feed or for purposes of drinking. A first embodiment provides a dribble of feed for as long as the agitating auger runs. It is interesting to note that the purpose served by the auger in this device is the agitation of the feed rather than the controlled measurement of the animal feed dispensed. A second embodiment dumps a quantum of feed by means of the container 74. No provision for leveraged loading into the storage bin of the device has been implemented for the convenience of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,812 to DeLoach et al for AUTOMATIC ANIMAL FEEDING APPARATUS presents another device in which the auger does not convey a measured amount of feed to the feeding receptacle, but merely agitates the feed so that the feed will fall through holes into the feeding receptacle. It is also to be noted that the device has not been designed for pet feeding, rather the feeding of animals to be fattened such as hogs is contemplated. It would be possible for the animal to eat itself to death just by keeping on eating so as to empty the receptacle, at which point, more feed will be dispensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,035 to White for AUTOMATIC LIVESTOCK FEEDER while providing a timed dispensation of feed of a measured amount, does not provide for water either to be mixed with the feed or to be drunk by the animal. The amount of feed dispensed cannot be changed except by changing the feed dispenser E, thus the amount of feed dispensed, though predetermined, is not adjustable. Additionally, there is no provision for the dispensation of water to the animal either for mixing with the feed or for drinking purposes.
It would thus be a great advantage to the art to provide an automatic pet feed and water dispenser capable of varying the amount of feed dispensed.
Another significant advantage would be found in the provision of an automatic power backup system whereby the apparatus will operate and the animal will be fed and watered regardless of an interruption in the domestic power supply.
It would be a further significant advantage to provide a device capable of furnishing water for the animal to drink in addition to water to be mixed with dry feed to make a gravy for the animal's greater enjoyment of its food.
Another principal advantage would be the provision of means of easy loading of feed into the storage bin so that a small non-muscular person might load a large quantity of feed into the bin without undue discomfort and strain.
Another important advantage would be realized if a feed level indicator incorporated into the device provided some measurement of the amount of feed remaining in the storage bin.
An important advantage would be the facility for replenishment of the water supply dependent on the level of water remaining in a receptacle from which the animal may drink.
Provision of an adjustable, interval-timed food supply that provides precise volume measurement of dispensed food at controlled and adjustable intervals of time represents an additional leading advantage sought by the invention.